Wedding Dresses Blog

Black Vera Wang

Vera Ellen Wang was born and raised in New York City. While in high school, Wang trained as a figure skater with pairs partner James Stuart. When she failed to make the US Olympics team, she entered the fashion industry.

Wang has been a senior fashion editor for Vogue for sixteen years. In 1985, she left Vogue and joined Ralph Lauren as a design director for two years. In 1990, she opened her own design salon in the Carlyle Hotel in New York that features her trademark bridal gowns. Wang has made wedding gowns for many well-known public figures, such as Chelsea Clinton, Mariah Carey, Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Lopez, Sharon Stone, Uma Thurman, and many other celebrities.

She has designed costumes for figure skaters, including Nancy Kerrigan, Michelle Kwan and Evan Lysacek. Silver medalist Nancy Kerrigan wore a unique design of Vera’s for the 1994 Olympics. She designed the two-piece uniforms currently worn by the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders.

Wang has expanded her brand name through her fragrance, jewelry, eyewear, shoe and houseware collections. On October 23, 2001, her book, Vera Wang on Weddings, was released.

In 2002, Vera Wang began to enter the home fashion industry and launched The Vera Wang China and Crystal Collection, followed by the 2007 release of her diffusion line called Simply Vera, which are sold exclusively by Kohl’s.

In June 2005, she won the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) Womenswear Designer of the Year. On May 27, 2006, Wang was awarded the André Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Award from the Savannah College of Art and Design. In 2009 she was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame, and was honored for her contribution to the sport as a costume designer.